Hands

Hands

Summary: Katara and Aang try to help Sokka with his career as an artist.

Note: Don't read to much into Aang's art lesson. I pulled that from nowhere.

A/N:These are a result of my tumblr. "Perfected" versions (and by that I mean the italicized words, better spacing's are on there originally, if you wanna give it a look see.

"And down."

It was always nice to have some quality time together, just Aang and Katara. Their daily meditation and stretches was relaxing and a tad bit romantic, just the two of them, warm sunlight, comfy swimming clothes-

"Guys! Come quick!" Sokka's cry belted through their home, alerting the duo from their ritualistic aerobics.

"Sokka?!"

"What is it?!"

Aang and Katara skidded into his room, fighting forms at the ready to find Sokka on his knees, holding up a large piece of parchment stained in prominent yellow, orange, and blue ink.

"I did it! I've finished my newest masterpiece!"

"That's it?"

"You nearly gave us a heart attack!"

Sokka blinked, "...You two should really stop spending so much time together, the whole 'speaking in unison' thing is a sure sign of oogies spreading."

Katara clenched the main rooms door frame and growled while Aang awkwardly patted her back.

"So, what'd you draw exactly?" He squinted.

"Oh come on, you don't know your own clothes?"

"Uhhh..."

"See? This is the inner robe," Sokka's finger traced downward a yellow line, "and here, obviously the outer," the large splotches of orange, "and the blue is a bit of creative license." His finger swirled around what must have been the Water Crest.

" I imagined Katara would've stitched the water tribe symbol right in the front, for old times when it was just the Original Gaang."

"Ohh... It's great... Um, why exactly- I mean, is this what you've been doing the entire time?" Aang questioned, un-craning his neck from following whatever Sokka thought he was showing him.

"Yeah, y'know, with the world saved an all, this is a great time to pursue my hobby a bit more. People pay for this kind of stuff!"

Katara places her hands on her hips, finally back in a calm composer, "Not that stuff."

" Everyone's a critic." Sokka stuck his tongue out as he got up to put the piece on his table to dry.

"Sokka, I think it's great you want to pursue a passion." Aang said, leading Katara and himself into the room to stand on either side of an admiring Sokka, "But people here usually only want to pay for ... Professional-looking work, stuff that makes them think."

"Hmm..." Sokka tapped his chin, "So you're saying I should create things that make people wonder?"

"Personally Sokka, I think you already make people wonder." Katara grinned.

"Aww, thanks Katara." Sokka patted his little sister on the head while Aang quietly snickered behind him.

"Actually," Aang pointed his finger up, "I was thinking more along the lines of lessons."

"Where are we gonna find an art tutor for Sokka, right now, who isn't expensive?"

Katara inquired, because even though they were the saviors of the world, and personal friends with the Avatar and the Fire Lord, they didn't go around just flaunting their status accepting any more money then they needed, (despite Sokka and Toph's candor) especially when it came to a Sokka idea.

"Well, I could teach him." Aang uttered.

"You?" The sibling questioned.

"Sure. I'm no 'artist' but I know a few things. It's all apart of the nomad lifestyle."

Katara and Sokka eyed Aang, then looked to each other.

Sokka shrugged, "I don't have a problem with it. How much harm could Aang" he pointed at the smiling Airbender, "do?"

Changing into their respectively assorted Earth Kingdom clothes, the trio convened back into the main room.

"Okay Sokka, we're gonna help you." Aang looked amused as Katara sat her brother down at his table, hands firmly clenching his shoulders.

"I thought this was just something Aang was doing." Sokka stared warily at his sister.

"Let's start off with some of your more..." Aang twisted his hand in the air, struggling with the right words, " Questionable... anatomical... Choices. First lesson, 'How to Draw Hands'."

"What? Who cares about hands?"

"Oh come on Sokka," Katara balanced her hands on the table to hover over her brother, "Haven't you ever flipped your hands over at night and wonder what the thumb would look like attached to the other side?"

Sokka was silent for a minute before crossing his arms and leaning back. "Continue."

"Mind being my visual aid?" Aang offered his hand Katara to place hers atop, and she complied with a smile.

"Okay Pupil Sokka, let's focus on the female hand first. Notice the delicate curve of the thumb into the palm? It's kind of like a gentle wave, and the palm is the sand."

Aang's nails skimmed across, causing a tingling that made Katara wiggle her fingers.

"Do all Waterbenders have such soft hands?" Aang offhandedly asked, only slightly noticing the hue in Katara's cheeks.

"The girls probably; okay how's this?" Sokka slid the formerly blank page to Aang, showing a good curve.

"It's... Neat." Katara said in shock.

Sokka focused in on the paper, brush ready, "Keep it comin' with the water references Aang. They're... Speaking to me."

"Well, now that you've got the curve your ready to make a side view. I think they're pretty easy, since you only have to show the fingers poking out for it to look good."

Aang re-positioned himself so he was standing beside Katara, making it better to cup her hand in his.

"Make sure you start drawing the pointer right under the thumb. And the middle is visible and slightly longer." His fingers entwined with hers, "not too far apart," then curved their fingers into Katara's palm, "not too close together."

Katara's cheeks were now highlighted in red.

Before, way back it seemed, in the Southern and Northern Water Tribes when she would glimpse at the couples, the mens hands always encompassed around the women.

She used to see a hand as perfectly held when it was hidden, protected. Aang's hands used to be so small, it was like a metaphor for her trying to protect him, one that she'd based around their beginnings.

Lately, when she tried not to notice, his fingers were only a point shorter. His palm warmed hers much easier now. He was growing on her more and more everyday, and she'd been so focused on their hearts that the body implications snuck up on her in the most pleasing ways. But whenever Aang held her hand, bigger or not, Katara knew she was safe.

If there was such a thing as "Perfect..", Aang's hands were it.

"Thanks." Sokka smiled, admiring the new sketches.

"Huh?"

"You said 'perfect'." His hand glided over the picture as if that was embellishing it.

Katara blinked before slowly setting her gaze on the real reason for her comment grinning and abruptly cradling her hand in his.

"Oh, yeah..." her gaze turned just a bit love struck, "Perfect."

Sokka looked up, recognizing that tone, realizing that the praise was no longer on his art but on each other.

"Oh great," he whispered, slinking under the table to get out of the room unnoticed, though judging from their goo-goo eyes that wouldn't have been very hard.

" The start of some major oogies."